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Auto alternatives for the 21st centuryFri, 31 Jul 2015 13:14:21 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.2Momentum Dynamics Says Wireless Electric Car Charging Is Ready Nowhttp://www.hybridcars.com/momentum-dynamics-says-wireless-electric-car-charging-is-ready-now/
http://www.hybridcars.com/momentum-dynamics-says-wireless-electric-car-charging-is-ready-now/#commentsWed, 29 Jul 2015 21:38:47 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=326474Imagine being able to wirelessly recharge an electric car in less than one hour instead of plugging in and waiting 4-7 hours or longer. Far off future fiction? No fact today, and something Momentum Dynamics has working in prototype form as it quietly works with companies intent on incorporating inductive charging technology into passenger cars […]

]]>Imagine being able to wirelessly recharge an electric car in less than one hour instead of plugging in and waiting 4-7 hours or longer.

Far off future fiction? No fact today, and something Momentum Dynamics has working in prototype form as it quietly works with companies intent on incorporating inductive charging technology into passenger cars and commercial vehicles.

This is according to the company’s CEO, Andy Daga, who we sat down with this week for a progress report on what may be the most powerful wireless inductive technology going.

Due to nondisclosure agreements, Daga is for now mum on household name clients being worked with, but he describes a push by nearly all automakers and those in commercial transportation toward charging that doesn’t need plugs and cables.

A finalist for the SAFE Energy Award which will announce winners July 31, Momentum Dynamics is a self-funded privately held corporation with “more business than we can handle” in prototype projects in several industries.

It’s hiring to take on more projects, and the six-year-old 20-plus-employee, suburban Philadelphia startup is a nominee for the SAFE (Secure America’s Future Energy) Award because energy security hawks are looking for ways to switch from petroleum.

An electric car can be made more practical today if zapped back in under an hour, as has been demonstrated with a Nissan Leaf, or in relatively short time, in the case of EVs with larger batteries.

Momentum Dynamics’ prototype home system has up to 10 kilowatts, 50 amps of 240-volt current. It’s hands free and safe and can work through snow and ice, if needed, or embedded under concrete, or portable, as desired. Public systems have proven up to 50 kilowatts, but 25 kilowatts is the “sweet spot” that Momentum is proving in field trials today and believes will become the standard.

The at-home charge rate for a sub-100-mile EV like a Leaf is not much slower than a 30-minute high-power DC quick charge.

How It Works

What’s new about it is the company has found elegant ways to tweak technology employing a pair of round coils – one on the ground attached to the grid, and another attached to the vehicle to charge the battery.

These create “donut” shaped waves of invisible magnetic fields. Momentum’s engineering VP Bruce Long in essence devised a way to “squash the donut” and make the system far more effective.

Daga said the system “contains” the field so it does not interact with nearby objects, such as a vehicle’s metallic components. This leads to higher efficiency at high power levels.

After more than five-years development, patents, and pilot projects, the company has proven its technology doesn’t heat surrounding metal, and does the job as fast or faster than plug-in charging systems and for comparable cost and no efficiency loss.

“At 25 kilowatts continuous power throughput the overall power transfer efficiency is 91 percent,” says Daga. “We believe we can improve this to 93 percent in the near future. This is measured from the supply of the AC wall current to the battery.”

The technology conforms to international magnetic emission standards, and is harmless to humans and animals.

For commercial applications, Momentum Dynamics has invented technology enabling wireless and inductive power transmission allowing several EVS parked next to each to charge without conflict.

“It is a form of Near Field Communications,” says Daga. “It uses the existing magnetic system that is used to transfer electrical energy across an air gap to also, simultaneously, communicate information.”

What it does is solve a dilemma stumping others wanting to charge multiple vehicles without crosstalk, potential for cyberhacking, or safety risks, and this innovation itself is also something Momentum wishes to license.

This and other innovations not least being its raw speed of power transfer has Momentum Dynamics on the radar, if for now mostly behind the scenes.

Who Wants to Go First?

Today wireless charging systems are not available from any automaker but the first could arrive as soon as two years from now based on suggestions by Volkswagen, Audi, and Nissan.

At least one un-named major automaker is also evaluating Momentum’s tech, and may choose it as an OEM supplier. Here the carmaker could pre-configure EVs to be able to readily bolt up the wireless receiver making them plug-and-play, potentially as a dealer add on.

The mentioned aftermarket consumer charger being tested by Momentum Dynamics may be ready within a year and would work like any level 2 charger you now buy with a receiver added under the car.

It would not be the first to market, but with 5-10 kilowatts depending on what the house is set up for, it could be faster than anything now available.

Does Volkswagen’s robot arm essentially automating plugging in present a solution, or show a glaring need for a better solution?

Daga estimates 75 percent of Momentum’s business is commercial, 25 percent passenger vehicle, but the passenger car business is increasing.

Certainly the need for automatic charging is perceived. As one case illustrates, Volkswagen recently unveiled a complicated robotic arm that does little more than plug into an existing plug port.

That’s novel, perhaps a point of Teutonic engineering pride, but it could be complicated, pricey, and meanwhile automakers are working toward getting rid of the wires and plugs altogether.

Several efforts are underway. Toyota is working with a competitor to Momentum Dynamics.

There’s a bit of a dilemma in all of this. Being a conservative bunch, some automakers are not wanting to dive in too fast with technology. They are however looking to see which competitor does what first, while simultaneously nervous that the same competitor may beat them to the punch.

If you’ve not noticed, not all automakers tentatively proffering electrified cars today are as bullish and gung ho as, say, Renault-Nissan led by Carlos Ghosn, or Tesla, with Elon Musk at the helm.

Within this climate, Daga say every automaker is hedging bets on many technologies, but wireless charging is just a matter of time. To date, we’ve heard nothing even from Tesla on adapting it but others, even Toyota – yes, Toyota – are developing solutions.

‘Megatrend’

While some have wondered where the electrified vehicle industry is heading, a study by Goldman Sachs bullishly forecasts one in four cars by 2025 will be either plug-in hybrid or battery electric. Out of 120 million total vehicles, that’s 30 million PHEVs and EVs annually on a global basis.

Due largely to a steady push by regulations, Goldman Sachs forecasts a paradigm shift over next decade and someone will have to offer them recharging solutions.

Note the logo is photoshopped off of this truck. You’d recognize it instantly if you saw it. Momentum;s technology was tested at the FCC laboratory to prove it transfers power and complies with FCC rules and magnetic emission standards; a report was issued verifying it.

“The auto industry’s need to embrace technological change is more urgent now than ever before,” says Goldman Sachs in a study titled, “A disruptive new era of the Automotive Age.”

Another study by Morgan Stanley sees a bright forecast, and also bases projections on regulations that are more predictable to forecast the industry with than by guessing fuel prices, or consumer demand, or less than-eager manufacturer supply.

That said, 25 percent electrified market share one decade from now does sound intensely optimistic given the U.S. is presently mired at below 1 percent today.

Daga says even if the reality is only a fraction of this, it’s at least certain many more vehicles will need charging.

Making it Work

When they are not engineering prototypes, Daga and company have also spent time figuring ways to sell their technology into publicly accessible locations.

Charging systems costing $10,000 or more can make some prospective business owners wince. Attracting electrified car drivers to their business to shop can be appealing, but it’s not without complications.

Problems may include car owners who park at charger-equipped spots and hog them all day. Blink network is planning to impose a surcharge to penalize such behaviors, but some businesses on the fence about installing chargers see potential headaches.

In China and elsewhere in Asia, large automated parking garages are cropping up. Wireless charging would be ideal to replenish batteries without need a human to plug them in.

While catering to anyone, Momentum Dynamics aims to sell to businesses which do not have cars parked all day – places like convenience stores, restaurants, and shopping malls, among others. A two hour or less in-and-out time will let its high-power chargers zap some range in and the problem of people leaving a car in space after it’s fully charged will take care of itself.

Beyond this, Daga foresees a shift from primarily home-based charging to greater dependence on public charging. In places like China, Korea, and even the U.S. and Europe, not everyone has a garage. In some cases almost no one does.

Thus the need for many more public chargers to accommodate many more electric cars will make wireless all the more appealing, he postulates.

In short, seamless convenient charging dotting a community would help stave off range anxiety from limited-distance EVs.

A 100-200 mile EV that can quickly net an extra 15-50 miles just by parking during ordinary daily coming and going would effectively extend range, asserts Daga.

Beyond bigger batteries, a much broader charging network would make EVs more viable, he says.

“We should not force people to dramatically change their lives to experience the benefit of cleaner transportation. We should instead reward them for making the transition,” says Daga who himself dislikes surcharges and financial penalties on people already spending extra to go electric. “Wireless charging allows people to drive an EV without a need to change their behavior. They drive and park and when parked they charge without even realizing they are charging. It becomes even easier than pumping gasoline.”

Where it’s Heading

Momentum Dynamics’ technology has potential applications beyond the car business, such as in medical devices, and in other fields, but its sole focus is electrified vehicles, something Daga says he personally believes in deeply.

While the ratio of fuel pumps are enough to supply millions of vehicles on the road, because EVs take longer, Daga suggests several times more chargers would be needed for as many EVs, and this too has Momentum Dynamics energized.

While it’s impossible to perfectly predict the future, wireless charging is expected soon, and could grow in lockstep with global EV markets.

If things go to plan, it will be a natural transition of greater convenience than plugs and cords, and Momentum Dynamics aims to be there.

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/momentum-dynamics-says-wireless-electric-car-charging-is-ready-now/feed/0Tesla CTO: Li-Ion Advancements Will Lead To Electric Car Dominationhttp://www.hybridcars.com/tesla-cto-li-ion-advancements-will-lead-to-electric-car-domination/
http://www.hybridcars.com/tesla-cto-li-ion-advancements-will-lead-to-electric-car-domination/#commentsFri, 24 Jul 2015 04:00:57 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=324562Are you one of those who are looking forward to battery chemistry “beyond lithium ion” before EVs can seriously challenge gasoline-powered counterparts? That won’t quite be needed, said Tesla Motors’ JB Straubel, rather it’s inevitable battery electric vehicles (BEVs) will soon be cheaper to own than and this will lead to their market domination. It […]

]]>Are you one of those who are looking forward to battery chemistry “beyond lithium ion” before EVs can seriously challenge gasoline-powered counterparts?

That won’t quite be needed, said Tesla Motors’ JB Straubel, rather it’s inevitable battery electric vehicles (BEVs) will soon be cheaper to own than and this will lead to their market domination.

It will take advances in battery development sure enough, but the company’s chief technical officer and co-founder is only talking about one general battery type: lithium-ion.

This revelation came as Straubel addressed attendees last week during the opening ceremony for Intersolar North America’s annual conference. He explained that battery advancements are going to lead to two major changes: they will make battery electric vehicles (BEVs) more affordable to drive than gasoline cars, and they will support the shift to renewable energy sources.

As part of the “High Energy Lithium-Ion Batteries” (HE-Lion) project, BASF is conducting research into a new generation of lithium-ion batteries. The aim is to significantly increase the batteries’ energy density to specifically extend their use in electrically powered vehicles as well as in computers and cell phones. Photo courtesy of BASF.

The shift to BEVs will involve more powerful packs with higher energy densities and finding cheaper manufacturing solutions – which are occurring at an exponential pace, according to Straubel. They are a key ingredient behind the growing success of BEVs.

“It’s soon going to be cheaper to drive a car on electricity — a pure EV on electricity — than it is to drive a gasoline car,” Straubel said. “And as soon as we see that kind of shift in the actual cost of operation in a car that you can use for your daily driver, you know, from all manufacturers I believe we’re going to see electric vehicles come to dominate the whole transportation fleet.”

“Lead acid was basically the status quo for batteries for 100 years,” Straubel told conference attendees. “Going from nickel metal hydride and lead acid to lithium-ion, suddenly we could jump almost 100 percent in improvement in energy density.

“And this was the turning point that really created a new market for electric vehicles.”

One of the significant advantages of the lithium-ion battery, said Straubel, was it allowed carmakers to build a car with acceleration and handling that was comparable to a conventional gasoline-powered car.

“Suddenly an electric vehicle wasn’t a golf cart. It was something that was fun to drive,” he said. “It could handle because the battery pack didn’t weigh 1,500 pounds. It created a vehicle that sort of surprised the automotive industry and I think launched a huge amount of other interesting and great electric vehicle programs all around the world.”

As more powerful lithium-ion batteries are developed for BEVs at lower costs, these same gains translate into better power storage in the grid.

Improvements in lithium-ion batteries “also helps enable the synergy between photovoltaics, or wind, or renewables in general, and cars,” Straubel explained. “Because our fundamental goal is how do we get sustainability into transportation.

“We don’t want to just make cars electric. We need to link electric cars all the way back to where the energy comes from. It has to be renewable energy to really make the difference that we want to do.”

By connecting BEVs with renewable energy, Straubel said lithium-ion batteries become a vital solution in the equation of lowering carbon emissions.

“There’s going to be much faster growth of grid energy storage than I think most people expected. You suddenly get to have energy that’s 100 percent firm and buffered from photovoltaics that’s cheaper than fossil energy. And we’re within sort of grasping distance of that goal, which is very, very exciting.

“Because once we get to that, and there really is no going back, it will make sense to do this economically without any environmental consideration whatsoever. So that’s the amazing tipping point that’s going to happen within I’m quite certain the next 10 years.”

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/tesla-cto-li-ion-advancements-will-lead-to-electric-car-domination/feed/0Why An Electric Car Is Greener Cradle to Gravehttp://www.hybridcars.com/why-an-electric-car-is-greener-cradle-to-grave/
http://www.hybridcars.com/why-an-electric-car-is-greener-cradle-to-grave/#commentsThu, 23 Jul 2015 20:50:19 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=324434Electric cars are presented as a solution for society’s needs to curb emissions and reduce petroleum consumption, but are they really environmentally friendly? The way researchers try to answer this question is by a “cradle-to-grave” life cycle analysis. This normally takes into account three phases – 1) the manufacturing process, 2) a car’s life in […]

]]>Electric cars are presented as a solution for society’s needs to curb emissions and reduce petroleum consumption, but are they really environmentally friendly?

The way researchers try to answer this question is by a “cradle-to-grave” life cycle analysis. This normally takes into account three phases – 1) the manufacturing process, 2) a car’s life in the hands of the consumer, 3) and what happens to it post-consumer.

Compared to gas and diesel vehicles, electric cars are yet under a microscope by skeptics, policymakers, others, and studies sifting various aspects of these three phases have sought to quantify just how clean they really are.

After all, we frequently hear how coal remains in the U.S. electric grid that powers electric vehicles (EVs), and concerns over batteries are also repeated.

Beyond greenhouse-gas emissions, analyses may also assess impacts from acid rain, ozone pollution, algae blooms, water and materials required, and total energy demand.

The short answer is accepted science sides with EVs as impacting the environment less overall.

“We examined six peer-reviewed academic studies and found that in every case, electric vehicles win by a substantial margin, with estimates ranging from 28 to 53 percent lower cradle-to-grave emissions than conventional vehicles today,” wrote the National Resources Defense Council as published by Grist in August 2013.

This fall the Union of Concerned Scientists expects to release new findings updating previous work. It will use assumptions about vehicle lifetime and updated facts on the getting-cleaner U.S. electricity mix to reflect current U.S. lifecycle environmental impact values.

“I think our results will still show the general trend that EVs generate more emissions during manufacture but the savings during use are much larger,” said Dave Reichmuth, senior engineer, UCS Clean Vehicles Program.

Polite Science Versus Ugly Truths

Typical analyses between cars that run on electricity versus those that run on petroleum agree on parameters of what to analyze.

Step outside that for a minute in your imagination, and one could open a Pandora’s box potentially proving EVs a winner over internal combustion by a much larger margin.

Often unquestioned are some of the hidden costs society now accepts – what economists call externalities – to a petroleum-dependent way of life.

For example, cradle-to-grave analyses do not normally factor the sum total of all military involvement to protect petroleum, defend against terrorists angry over America’s oil-related foreign intervention, and other such things to maintain the petroleum paradigm.

The U.S. Department of Defense knows it has a carbon footprint. It is spending on all sorts of research into alternative energy.

While the U.S. is now producing more oil than it has since the early 1970s, oil remains a global fungible commodity with price not controlled by the U.S.

The U.S. has been to war and remains involved to maintain peace in oil producing regions. These factors have an environmental impact – not to mention dollar and life cost – but this does not usually count in electric-versus-internal-combustion analyses.

EVs do not need oil-supply protection in regions where terrorists hate America. They run on domestically sourced energy whose price is locally controlled.

Of course, if you do think in these terms, you open a can of worms of infinitely more variables, and where does it stop? Counterpoints could also be raised, and these too would need to be weighed.

But at this point, this is an abstract notion. The only point here is there are actions and consequences that transcend many a cradle-to-grave discussion which agree not to look at a proverbial man behind the curtain holding up the transportation sector.

It is what it is. Duly noted for your consideration. And with that, following are highlights from generally agreed-upon science.

Manufacturing – EVs Are Dirtier

The Union of Concerned Scientists does concede that all told, making EVs is more environmentally harmful than making gasoline cars.

“Building an electric car produces more global warming emissions than a conventional gasoline car, largely due to battery production,” writes the UCS’ Don Anair echoing other such admissions by his colleagues.

A study by Argonne National Laboratory examines “Energy and Environmental Impacts of Lithium Production” combatting the commonly held notion lithium mining is so harmful, but the net impact from battery manufacturing is still a factor.

Before EVs ever get to a consumer they are like a lot of college kids – in debt – but EVs start to make up for their carbon debt as soon as they are put to work.

“However, these emissions are dwarfed by those from using a gasoline car,” continues Anair comparing emissions of driving EVs versus driving internal combustion cars.

His comment came in a rebuttal article countering an electric car critic who has used influential media outlets to write opinion pieces posed as science. Articles like “Green Cars Have a Dirty Little Secret” published March 2013 in the Wall Street Journal present what Anair termed “cherry-picking data, bizarre assumptions” to allege EVs are a boondoggle.

Anair this time was answering the same writer who published this February in USA Today what EV advocates have called misinformation, and willful spreading of fear uncertainty and doubt.

“It is time to stop our green worship of the electric car,” wrote the author in USA Today. “It costs us a fortune, cuts little CO2 and surprisingly kills almost twice the number of people compared with regular gasoline cars.”

The Union of Concerned Scientists posted this graphic in one of its many rebuttals of a critical article taking what it sees as an anti-environmental stance against science.

Sounds scary! In response, Anair noted that a Leaf should last much longer than a mere 50,000 miles suggested as a low-point possibility. If a Leaf died in 50,000 miles it would not pay back the manufacturing costs. The electric car critic also picked on the emissions believed resulting from a 90,000 mile lifespan to make another point which Anair batted down.

“[M]ass-market EVs are in an early stage of deployment and new EV models with different technology approaches (e.g., range, battery chemistry, body design and materials) are rapidly entering the market,” wrote Anair. “Manufacturing processes are likely to evolve and mature over the coming years, as are recycling processes that could change the amount of EV materials being recycled, reused, or scrapped.”

Consumer Use – EVs Make Up The Deficit

While an EV may come to the consumer in environmental debt, it starts to pay back quickly. The Union of Concerns Scientists in its updated 2014 State of Charge report found since 2012 the number of Americans who live in regions where grid emissions to power EVs are cleaner than a 50 mpg Toyota Prius had increased from 45 percent to 60 percent.

On the flip side, other studies have found regional fluctuations. One such study was “Life cycle air quality impacts of conventional and alternative light-duty transportation in the United States” by the University of Minnesota.

This pointed out deficiencies in the U.S. grid yet needing to be addressed.

“Our research found that the source of electricity matters very much in determining how “environmentally friendly” an EV is,” said researcher Julian Marshall. “If EVs are powered by coal-based emissions, they are much dirtier than if they are powered by renewable-based electricity; coal-based EVs are dirtier than conventional vehicles.”

Today there are no grids that are 100-percent coal powered, but variances between the cleanest and the dirtiest are marked. For example a Nissan Leaf charged in Southern California is EPA rated at 120 grams/mile effective upstream greenhouse gas emissions. The same car in the dirtiest region of Denver, Colorado nets 290 grams per mile.

This fact is an indictment of the U.S. energy grid, not the car, which itself is zero emission, but as a proposed alternative to gas, it does vary in its effectiveness. The EPA says the national average car is 480 grams per mile, so the Leaf still wins in greenhouse emissions. It’s only a question of how much.

The EPA data however also does not factor more than greenhouse gases, and environmental impacts from both internal combustion tailpipes and upstream gasoline refining, as well as electricity production do involve other toxins and particles.

Generally, EVs are still cleaner, but they have room to improve – or the grid does that is.

“We absolutely need to be ramping down our use of coal,” writes Anair contary to suggestions it merely be cleaned up.

In just two years from 2012 to 2014 the number of Americans living in “best” regions increased from 45 percent to 60 percent. A “best” region is one in which an EV is responsible for less upstream greenhouse gas emissions than the most efficient hybrid sold, the Toyota Prius .

Meanwhile the EPA is developing national power plant standards, he observes, which may be stronger than proposed. In January, California committed to 50-percent renewable energy by 2030 and existing renewable rules are already in place in a dozen states.

What this means is EVs stand to be cleaner over time. The electric grid actually emits 10-times the greenhouse gases petroleum production does, so has much more potential to clean up its act, which is expected.

Gasoline tailpipe emissions meanwhile are also getting marginally cleaner and federal rules in place through 2025 mandate it.

As for production of gasoline and diesel, with increased reliance on shale oil as well as Canadian oil sands, these are not getting as much cleaner as the production of gasoline and diesel stands to, but the Argonne national Lab suggests it has potential.

“Gasoline and diesel well-to-wheel GHG intensity remains about the same,” said Argonne’s Michael Wang, Senior Scientist – Energy Systems, of emissions over the past few years. “The Canadian oil share has increased but appears at a very decelerated pace recently. Future share of oil sands in U.S. crude remains unclear because of U.S shale oil production increase. The U.S. shale oil shale has increased significantly. Bakken shale oil has high well-to-wheel GHG intensity because of gas flaring. North Dakota has plan to reduce gas flaring in the future. The pace and magnitude of flaring reduction remain to be seen. Thus, my opinion is future gasoline and diesel GHG intensity will probably change little, with upward potentials.”

Post Consumer – Probably No Worries

The jury is partially out as first-generation mass-market EVs are only four years old and not many are worn out yet.

That said, post-consumer re-use of batteries is being explored and recycling is an option too.

[A]dvanced vehicle batteries are unlikely to be simply thrown away; they’re too valuable,” writes the UCS’ Rachael Nealer. “Even once they’re no longer suitable for automotive use, they retain about 80 percent of their capacity and can be re-purposed to provide grid energy storage to facilitate the integration of variable renewable resources, such as wind and solar.”

Nealer observed 95 percent of conventional auto parts are recycled so this should apply to EVs.

“It is worth noting that conventional lead-acid car batteries are consistently the most recycled product for which the EPA provides data [PDF], with a recycling rate of 96 percent,” wrote Nealer.

In short, EVs will end their life differently but their environmental impact should not be much worse than internal combustion vehicles, if at all. The most potentially damaging compared to conventional vehicles, their lithium-ion batteries do have value, are expected to be capitalized upon, and research is ongoing to maximize this potential.

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/why-an-electric-car-is-greener-cradle-to-grave/feed/0University Of Michigan Opens Road Course To Test Autonomous Technology (Video)http://www.hybridcars.com/university-of-michigan-opens-road-course-to-test-autonomous-technology-video/
http://www.hybridcars.com/university-of-michigan-opens-road-course-to-test-autonomous-technology-video/#commentsWed, 22 Jul 2015 20:01:43 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=324210This week, the University of Michigan opened a 32-acre miniature city with intersections, streetlights and construction zones to offer a real world environment for testing autonomous technology. University officials said Mcity, the name of the test course, is “the world’s first controlled environment specifically designed to test the potential of connected and automated vehicle technologies […]

]]>This week, the University of Michigan opened a 32-acre miniature city with intersections, streetlights and construction zones to offer a real world environment for testing autonomous technology.

University officials said Mcity, the name of the test course, is “the world’s first controlled environment specifically designed to test the potential of connected and automated vehicle technologies that will lead the way to mass-market driverless cars.”

As more automakers work on different levels of autonomous technology, many questions have arisen with how these will mix with conventional vehicles. In addition to navigating surrounding traffic, unexpected obstacles like pedestrians and trashcans need to be safely handled.

Mcity creates a safe setting where developers can test technology before it moves to public roads. To build the $10 million environment, the university incorporated street signs, traffic signals, sidewalks and construction zones. Graffiti-covered signs and faded street markings have even been added to emulate real-world issues the vehicles must decode.

“There are many challenges ahead as automated vehicles are increasingly deployed on real roadways,” said Peter Sweatman, director of MTC. “Mcity is a safe, controlled, and realistic environment where we are going to figure out how the incredible potential of connected and automated vehicles can be realized quickly, efficiently and safely.”

The course was designed and built by the University of Michigan’s Mobility Transformation Center (MTC) with support from the Michigan Department of Transportation. Ford, General Motors, Honda, Nissan and Toyota make up a portion of MTC’s 15 major partners, along with insurance, communication and technology companies.

Mcity will become the proving ground for more than just self-driving vehicles, said MTC. Connected vehicles, which links vehicles to other vehicles or the surrounding infrastructure, and all levels of automation can be tested here.

The course will also play a major role in implementing MTC’s goal to “put a shared network of connected, automated (including driverless) vehicles on the road in Ann Arbor by 2021.”

“With the help of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, MTC is building on a nearly 3,000-vehicle connected technology project launched three years ago by the U-M Transportation Research Institute to create a major deployment of 9,000 connected vehicles operating across the greater Ann Arbor area,” MTC said.

Phase Two expands this initiative to place 20,000 connected vehicles on roads throughout Southeast Michigan, and the third phase puts 2,000 automated taxis in Ann Arbor.

“We believe that this transformation to connected and automated mobility will be a game changer for safety, for efficiency, for energy, and for accessibility,” said Sweatman. “Our cities will be much better to live in, our suburbs will be much better to live in. These technologies truly open the door to 21st century mobility.”

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/university-of-michigan-opens-road-course-to-test-autonomous-technology-video/feed/0How Can Other States Take Advantage Of California’s EV Momentum?http://www.hybridcars.com/how-can-other-states-take-advantage-of-californias-ev-momentum/
http://www.hybridcars.com/how-can-other-states-take-advantage-of-californias-ev-momentum/#commentsWed, 22 Jul 2015 05:03:52 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=324042Last year, with just under 60,000 sales, almost half of the country’s sales of electrified vehicles came from California alone. Clearly, something is working within the Golden State. So how can other states glean from California’s success in order to increase EV numbers around the rest of the country? Support Begins At The Top Many […]

]]>Last year, with just under 60,000 sales, almost half of the country’s sales of electrified vehicles came from California alone.

Clearly, something is working within the Golden State. So how can other states glean from California’s success in order to increase EV numbers around the rest of the country?

Support Begins At The Top

Many of California’s policies have come from the state’s top leaders, setting a clear message that carbon emission reductions are a priority for the state. Governor Jerry has created some of the most stringent of the state’s orders. Three years ago, he set a goal of 1.5 million zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) to be on California roads by 2025.

And last April, Governor Brown signed an executive order mandating that by 2030, the state cut its carbon emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels.

“With this order, California sets a very high bar for itself and other states and nations,” Brown said after signing the mandate, “but it’s one that must be reached – for this generation and generations to come.”

Not all states are this fortunate. Residents in Arizona and Texas can’t buy Model S, where it’s illegal for Tesla to sell vehicles.

And Georgia has actually gone backwards with its state-support. Legislators removed a $5,000 tax incentive for all-electric vehicles last spring, replacing the credit instead with an annual road use fee for ZEVs.

The aggressive goals established within California couldn’t have been finalized without staunch support from elected officials. For other states to follow suit, support in creating and implementing pro-EV strategies will be required from both legislators and governors.

Beyond Tax Credits

Buyers in any state can take advantage of the federal government’s $7,500 EV tax credit (though the bonus is only applied towards taxes owed, and only redeemed when annual personal income taxes are filed).

But through the California Air Resources Board (CARB), residents can get up to an additional $5,000 in rebates for the purchase or lease of eligible plug-in or ZEVs. And a new policy gives low-income residents a $6,500 rebate for a fuel cell vehicle.

“Incentives have put California in a leadership position,” said Ethan Elkind, the Associate Director of the Climate Change and Business Program, with a joint appointment at UC Berkeley School of Law and UCLA School of Law.

“I don’t know if we’ve inspired other states, but certainly other states have looked at our incentives. By changing it now to be income-based, we’ll see if that’s an area that boosts adoption.”

Encouragement for residents to buy an electrified vehicle has also comes in other forms. For example, California has allocated 85,000 permits to allow approved EV models to drive in the highly desirable carpool lanes. For commuters in the Los Angeles area, these permits are often a top reason for picking an EV over a conventional car.

States facing budget reductions may be unable to set aside large sums for tax credits. But considering alternative perks instead, like carpool access, may be a more affordable way to boost EV sales.

“I think other states are getting there,” said Alexander Keros, General Motors manager for advanced vehicle and infrastructure policy, of EV adoption rates outside of California. “We just need to get creative. More plugs, non-financial incentives? Trust me, you give free parking to people in New York City and you’ll see a bump.”

Increasing Infrastructure Through Utility Companies

California is also asking its utility companies for help to create a solid charging infrastructure in the region. Much of the initial investment and management came from the government, and state officials are now ready for utility companies to start taking the lead.

Some of the utility-led projects currently in the works include a plan to build 25,000 level 2 charging stations by Pacific Gas & Electric, and a proposal from San Diego Gas & Electric for 5,500 charging stations.

“The investments that utilities make or that the ARB funds with cap-and-trade funds are going toward transforming the market for vehicles,” said Nancy Ryan, senior director of policy and strategy for the firm Energy and Environmental Economics.

“I envisioned we would reach a point where we would put the muscle and scale of the utilities behind it, but with understanding about what their role is,” she said. “That’s exactly where we are.”

Bringing It All Together

Many states already have mandates, goals or incentives in place. But few can post EV sales similar to California’s.

To reach such high numbers, California has used a multi-faceted approach. Tactics aren’t limited to just one issue but address the problem systematically, including carbon emission requirements for carmakers, support for utility companies to expand the charging network infrastructure and a series of incentives to prompt more consumers to buy EVs.

If more states want to emulate California’s EV adoption rates, state leaders need to implement more aggressive policies that reach beyond simple tax credits and bring together consumers, carmakers, utility companies.

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/how-can-other-states-take-advantage-of-californias-ev-momentum/feed/0Toyota Prius Taxi Running Strong With 600,000 Miles And Original Batteryhttp://www.hybridcars.com/toyota-prius-taxi-running-strong-with-600000-miles-and-original-battery/
http://www.hybridcars.com/toyota-prius-taxi-running-strong-with-600000-miles-and-original-battery/#commentsTue, 21 Jul 2015 17:47:07 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=323730For those questioning the lifespan of a Toyota Prius battery, one taxi driver has 621,000 reasons why there’s no cause for concern. That’s approximately how many miles one man has logged in his Prius taxi. Manfred Dvorak, a cab driver in Austria, tells the story of his 621,000-mile (one-million kilometer) Prius in a series of […]

]]>For those questioning the lifespan of a Toyota Prius battery, one taxi driver has 621,000 reasons why there’s no cause for concern.

That’s approximately how many miles one man has logged in his Prius taxi. Manfred Dvorak, a cab driver in Austria, tells the story of his 621,000-mile (one-million kilometer) Prius in a series of videos posted by Toyota Austria.

“The figure of one million kilometers itself speaks to its excellence,” Dvorak said of his Prius. “Even if the engine survives [in other cars], the other parts will break down. But this is not the case with this vehicle. It still continues to run well, even now.”

He paused for a moment to try to recall if the Prius has ever broken down before stating, “Nope, never.”

In a second video, Dvorak talked about how much fun the high-mileage Prius is to drive, with the car still maintaining its ability to quickly accelerate and handle the mountain curves with ease.

“The acceleration is very good,” explained Dvorak. “I’m sure the drivers I have overtaken feel the same way.”

Of course, these are promotional videos created and released by Toyota. It doesn’t appear that Dvorak has given an interview to any other news source (at least within the U.S.), so it’s difficult to verify his story.

But his claims of 621,000 miles on an original Prius battery aren’t implausible.

Taxis in general see far more wear and tear than most other cars on the road. In the U.S., the average taxi logs 70,000 miles each year (according to the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission). Compare that to the 13,000 miles most household vehicles travel annually. These aren’t easy miles, either, with taxicabs spending a significant portion of time navigating stop-and-go traffic, which wears heavily on a vehicle’s powertrain.

Even looking beyond the realm of service vehicles, it still doesn’t appear that Dvorak’s taxi is a singular exception of a long-running Prius battery pack.

In the San Jose Mercury News, Gary Richards listed more than half a dozen examples of Prius owners reporting mileage in the neighborhood of 200,000 miles on the original battery. Only one had ever needed to replace the battery, and that was after seven and a half years of use. One owner even rolled over 530,000 miles before a collision took the Prius off the road permanently.

“The only problem that I had regarding the battery was a cooling issue that occurred due to dog hair sucked into and clogging the battery cooling fan located below the rear seat,” remarked the 530,000-mile Prius owner. “Toyota did not design an air filter for this rear seat vent. It is probably the only design flaw I would mention about the car.”

Consumer Reports has also tested to see if Prius batteries lost effectiveness after a long time.

“We hooked up a 2002 Toyota Prius with nearly 208,000 miles on the clock to our testing instruments and compared the results to the nearly identical 2001 Prius we tested 10 years ago,” said Consumer Reports editors in 2011.

“We found very little difference in performance when we tested fuel economy and acceleration,” they concluded. “Our testers were also amazed how much the car drove like the new one we tested 10 years ago. We were also surprised to learn that the engine, transmission, and even shocks were all original.”

“So is an old Prius a still a good value?” asked the editors. “We think so.”

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/toyota-prius-taxi-running-strong-with-600000-miles-and-original-battery/feed/0Are Consumers Being Manipulated By Anti-Electric Car Propaganda?http://www.hybridcars.com/are-consumers-being-manipulated-by-anti-electric-car-propaganda/
http://www.hybridcars.com/are-consumers-being-manipulated-by-anti-electric-car-propaganda/#commentsTue, 21 Jul 2015 05:59:40 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=323154Nobody has proven electric cars unequivocally less environmentally friendly than gas and diesel cars but that does not stop people from throwing what they can on the wall to see what sticks. It’s effectively propaganda, and you the general public are the target. Of course it does not declare itself as propaganda, but you may […]

]]>Nobody has proven electric cars unequivocally less environmentally friendly than gas and diesel cars but that does not stop people from throwing what they can on the wall to see what sticks.

It’s effectively propaganda, and you the general public are the target. Of course it does not declare itself as propaganda, but you may see it presented as new information about potentially negative environmental impacts of electric vehicles (EVs).

The underlying message: Think twice! Policymakers and environmentalists may be on the wrong road dragging others along with their hyped green religion.

Since mass-market EVs were introduced in late 2010, anti-EV arguments have varied from baseless to getting in a few good jabs. Sources have been opinion pieces to studies to – worst of all – re-reports of studies taking researchers out of context to justify eyeball-grabbing headlines.

Why this is happening also has opinions – such as “Big Oil” or other interests are back-door funding research or media to play the unsuspecting public which is otherwise a revenue source. Short of conspiracy theories, less sinister motives may be attributed to careless writers who merely want to jerk your attention to what they have to say.

Clearly, like too many hot-button issues to count, the U.S. is divided on the topic far more than, say, Norway, which is approaching 25 percent of all new car sales being plug-in electric because a majority there believe they are cleaner.

Nor is this to say EVs are clean as daisies growing in a meadow.

Sensational reports have been attacking green cars at least as far back as when someone once said a Hummer was more environmentally friendly than a Prius. Whether willful or not, many articles could not have done a better job if they had tried to write propaganda. The results can be basically the same – misinformation imparted.

It is certain that they do involve environmental costs as does any consumer good. At issue is whether they are worth it for society to pursue – and subsidize even – in the effort to curtail greenhouse gases and petroleum dependence.

EVs are still in their first generation, and are a measured compromise, but what can stick out to Jane Q. Public is a de facto thumbs down. That is, the takeaway message from sensational words later toned down after the reader has been hooked is EVs are not ready, may never be, gas cars may be cleaner, and so forth.

Whether deliberate propaganda or inadvertent, when this happens it sows confusion in a public that already is unclear on issues and new technologies. And, it does so despite other peer-reviewed science declaring EVs a good solution.

Following are highlights of stories that portray EVs from askance. We won’t point-by-point refute them as that would take too much space, but if others have tried to bat down any false assertions, we’ll link what we can.

1) ‘Study: Your All-Electric Car May Not Be So Green’

This savory headline was written late last year by an AP writer who cherry picked a study co-author’s words to portray EVs in a worse-than-represented light. Other outlets dutifully grabbed the AP news feed, and re-spun or reprinted it whole in all of its incorrect glory.

The inaccurate story by the AP opens saying: “People who own all-electric cars where coal generates the power may think they are helping the environment. But a new study finds their vehicles actually make the air dirtier, worsening global warming.”

The juicy opening quote: “It’s kind of hard to beat gasoline” for public and environmental health, said study co-author Julian Marshall, an engineering professor at the University of Minnesota. “A lot of the technologies that we think of as being clean … are not better than gasoline.”

Marshall later said his quote referred to the life-cycle for ethanol, not EVs, but this does not give EVs a blanket pass as environmentally friendly.

“Our research found that the source of electricity matters very much in determining how “environmentally friendly” an EV is,” said Marshall. “If EVs are powered by coal-based emissions, they are much dirtier than if they are powered by renewable-based electricity; coal-based EVs are dirtier than conventional vehicles.”

He also reportedly said if he’d written the headline it would have been along the lines of EVs (powered by electricity from natural gas or wind, water, or solar power) are best for improving air quality.

Beyond this, he sent us the following video to partially correct the record, and provided further details below:

My comment to the AP reporter was that of the vehicles we studied, the cleanest ones were EVs running on clean electricity, including renewables (wind, water, solar) and natural gas. Other than those options, it’s difficult to beat gasoline: conventional ethanol is worse than gasoline, EVs running on dirty electricity (coal) also are worse than gasoline.

The reporter elected to lead with the second part of the quote (“EVs can be dirty”) and then introduce the first part (“EVs can be clean”) later in the article.

The AP and other re-reports never wrote a correction, but several did get an earful in the comments section by readers tearing the hit piece apart.

2) Are electric cars damaging YOUR region? Maps reveal how EVs can be WORSE for the environment than gas-guzzling vehicles

This headline in June from the UK’s Daily Mail was one of several reports on a study by the National Bureau of Economic Research.

The Daily Mail based its re-write on a story by CityLab that wrote: “In oversimplified terms, the researchers determined the emissions produced by gasoline car tailpipes and the emissions produced by electricity grids that power EVs for every U.S. county. “

They did dive down deep, and to be sure there are regional and hourly variances in grids across the country. The researchers focused on five major pollutants: carbon (CO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen (NOx), particulate matter (PM 2.5), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

These go beyond the basic greenhouse gases the EPA accounts for on fueleconomy.gov, but omitted were upstream emissions involved in getting the gasoline to the pump.

Rather, EVs’ upstream emissions for cars like the Ford Focus and Focus Electric were factored as “smokestack,” but emissions the EPA associates with sourcing, refining and transporting gasoline to the pump were not factored.

For this reason, Internet commenters have called the research flawed, but a source involved with the study who asked not to be named observed also omitted are further upstream electric emissions, such as mining coal and shipping it to power plants.

What commenters don’t realize, the source said, is that if coal extraction and shipping plus production of EVs were considered, they’d have fared even worse. So if anything, goes the reasoning, results are slightly biased in favor of electric cars.

That argument could be countered by those observing many more upstream costs involved in oil that could lend themselves to higher GHG than the EPA conservatively estimates, but this is what you have.

And, it’s used to color maps into veritable no-man’s lands for EVs which would not have changed if upstream-for-gasoline info was factored, says the source.

The Union of Concerned Scientists last year updated its 2012 study showing the grid is already markedly cleaner and EV friendly, with 60 percent of Americans living in the “best” region where an EV is always cleaner than a high-mpg hybrid.

Meanwhile, EPA data does factor upstream gas versus smokestack. It says emissions for a Ford Focus Electric and conventional gas Focus shows one of the worst coal-intensive grids named in the study – Grand Ford, North Dakota – nets GHG of 270 g/mile for the EV versus 351 g/mile for the conventional Focus.

Whether the economic working paper makes valid points is unquestioned, but the sensational takeaway message by reports was inaccurate, and the researchers – economists – justified statements including that the $7,500 federal tax credit is a poor investment.

In response to the working paper, the Union of Concerned Scientist’ Dave Reichmuth wrote a thorough analysis to point out shortcomings.

3) Each EV is to blame for 60 lifetime metric tons CO2 and 6,700 extra gallons of gas burned

OK, we’ve heard arguments that EVs are responsible for upstream CO2, but if you’re scratching your head over the gasoline, this bit of logic takes some explaining.

The above is not a headline, but is the summary of an unequivocal statement made by research published by Carnegie Mellon University Engineering and Public Policy.

As the name implies, it offers recommendations to federal policymakers to think twice about Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) rules for now through 2025. Why?

“Each time a PEV is sold in the United States, net vehicle fleet greenhouse gas emissions increase by up to 60 metric tons of CO2 and U.S. U.S. gasoline consumption increases by up to 6,700 gallons,” says the abstract.

That’s right. What it says without qualifiers is federal rules allow automakers to sell gas guzzlers in other states that don’t need to sell any electric cars at all. Therefore, it is reasoned, consumers who buy a car like a Nissan Leaf are complicit with the twisted policy, and thus indirectly responsible for guzzlers purchased. The authors thus unequivocally assume that every PEV equals guzzlers that will wipe out any benefit offered by car like a Nissan Leaf.

This would seem to indicate a national policy challenge that now needs to be tackled, but not any issue with the typical electric car being sold.

Alternatively, EV advocates might say a PEV displaces a guzzler, but the authors invert that possibility and make a recommendation:

To achieve the best outcomes, PEV adoption should typically be focused on HEVs and PHEVs by city drivers in mild-climate regions with a clean electricity grid, such as San Francisco or Los Angeles. And drivers should not be encouraged to charge at night in coal-heavy regions. However, because of federal fuel economy policy, even in the best scenario U.S. PEV adoption may result in increased emissions and gasoline consumption – at least through 2025.

And why does Carnegie Mellon think most should drive a hybrid or plug-in hybrid and not a battery only EV? Because as you can see a video by Jeremy Michalek, director of its Vehicle Electrification group, CMU’s (now somewhat dated 2011) research shows that a big battery EV with 150-plus miles range isn’t currently the best choice on average for reducing pollution.

But that’s a far cry from the anti-EV stance that their research has been cherry picked by other papers and articles to appear to support, as is the case with the study referenced above by the Daily Mail. The original source is needed to see the whole picture.

In this video, Professor Michalek goes in depth on the research that supports the smaller battery plug in hybrid EV recommendation:

Meanwhile again, in the worst coal-intensive “RMPA” grid region, a Nissan Leaf’s electricity is responsible for 290 g/mile of CO2, less than the average 24-mpg car’s 480 g/mile, and much better than a guzzler.

Many More From Where These Came From

We could triple the length of this article just summarizing a few more studies and resultant re-reports and rebuttals, but maybe it is clear mixed messages are being disseminated?

In a time of the 30-second soundbite, some media are catering to this ethos, constrained also by readers who won’t sit for more. However, when discussing complex nuanced topics like carbon footprints for emerging technology, it can be a disservice to truncate the message too much. Details are lost, messages are skewed, and so on.

A few years ago, what EV supporters considered anti-plug-in hit pieces focused on other issues like expensive batteries, short range, high prices, political implications, worry over fire, and more.

Fox News’ Neil Cavuto went so far as to tell millions of viewers the Chevy Volt was simply “stupid,” an “Obamamobile,” and spouses who failed to remember to plug it in at night would get a divorce over the car.

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/are-consumers-being-manipulated-by-anti-electric-car-propaganda/feed/0Ludicrous Mode Means Tesla Model S Is The Quickest Accelerating Carhttp://www.hybridcars.com/ludicrous-mode-means-tesla-model-s-is-the-quickest-accelerating-car/
http://www.hybridcars.com/ludicrous-mode-means-tesla-model-s-is-the-quickest-accelerating-car/#commentsFri, 17 Jul 2015 19:54:48 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=322650Three new changes are coming for the Tesla Model S, including a new “ludicrous mode.” If the P85D’s “insane” mode was not enough for you, when this setting is engaged, the now-quicker Model S will reach 60 mph in a reported 2.8 seconds making the previous P85D’s 3.2 seconds seem sluggish. Top speed is 155 […]

]]>Three new changes are coming for the Tesla Model S, including a new “ludicrous mode.”

If the P85D’s “insane” mode was not enough for you, when this setting is engaged, the now-quicker Model S will reach 60 mph in a reported 2.8 seconds making the previous P85D’s 3.2 seconds seem sluggish. Top speed is 155 mph.

The upgrade is for the P85D, and will set owners back an additional $13,000 in required options. The new P90D will include dual motors (one front, one rear) and a 90-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery (more on that in a minute).

Power output is a mind-blowing 762 horsepower, increased over the P85D’s already outrageous 691.

The sensation of “ludicrous mode” was described by Tesla CEO Elon Musk as “faster than falling,” and this is literally true. Any passengers will want to make sure they are well braced for the 1.1 gs of force felt with the full acceleration.

Musk also answered a question on what comes after insane and ludicrous.

“There is of course one speed faster than ludicrous,” said Musk, “but that is reserved for the next generation Roadster in 4 years: maximum plaid.”

Last year when the P85D came out, Musk played down the implication “insane” mode was to break the law, and said “insane” meant insane snow traction with all wheel drive. Unsaid is whether the new car now has “ludicrous” snow traction, but somehow we suspect this was never the point.

The new car, with minimum options boxes checked at Tesla’s website will cost aspiring ludicrous owners $119,200 plus further extras, if desired. That’s a far cry from a $57,400 entry price once touted three year ago for the 40-kwh version that was subsequently canceled, but the new power broker’s machine is sure to keep patrons happy, and Tesla in the news while it awaits more vehicles to come.

And, speed is not all one gets. The larger battery, which is an upgrade from the P85D’s 85-kwh pack, also gets a 5-percent increase in range. This theoretically gives the P90D a 265 mile range, though drivers certainly won’t be able to tap into both the full power and the full range on the P90D.

The 90 kwh battery is also available as a separate $3,000 add-on for any Model S with an 85 kwh battery.

On the opposite end of the power spectrum, Tesla also announced today that it is offering a smaller single-motor version of the Model S 70D. This will be powered with one rear-mounted motor, and uses the same 70 kwh battery. Price on the Model S 70 starts at $70,000, a $5,000 reduction.

In other news Musk said far-more-humble, but arguably more exciting to more people Model 3 should be along in a little over two years.

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/ludicrous-mode-means-tesla-model-s-is-the-quickest-accelerating-car/feed/0All-Electric Corvette Z06 Set To Debut Next Monthhttp://www.hybridcars.com/all-electric-corvette-z06-set-to-debut-next-month/
http://www.hybridcars.com/all-electric-corvette-z06-set-to-debut-next-month/#commentsFri, 17 Jul 2015 18:44:15 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=322602A small company in Maryland, committed to “building advanced green vehicles,” is putting the final touches on an all-electric Corvette Z06. Genovation Cars doesn’t make a habit out of electrifying sports cars. Its G2 two-door (pictured below) was created and built in-house, and is available as either a battery electric or a plug-in hybrid. When […]

]]>A small company in Maryland, committed to “building advanced green vehicles,” is putting the final touches on an all-electric Corvette Z06.

Genovation Cars doesn’t make a habit out of electrifying sports cars. Its G2 two-door (pictured below) was created and built in-house, and is available as either a battery electric or a plug-in hybrid. When progress stalled on moving the G2 into production, the company said it turned to the smaller, more affordable Corvette project.

“I think even the most avid Corvette enthusiast will be impressed,” said Genovation CEO Andrew Saul.

His company repurposed a 2006 Corvette Z06 to build the Genovation Extreme Electric (GXE), which is expected to have a range of 150 miles.

“We are using state of the art inverters, batteries and electric motors that will produce in excess of 700 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque,” Saul said. “We expect the car to achieve 0-60 mph in around three seconds and have a top speed of over 200 mph. And, most of the parts are designed and built in America.”

Few other details or specs have been released, including motor and battery size. Not even the paint color is known – the above photo of a conventional 2006 Z06 merely represents what Genovation started with.

Final touches are getting finished on the car now, and the team plans to have it finished by the end of the month. It has been a long time coming to get this Corvette on the road – Genovation first started working on the overhaul in 2012, and has been mostly quiet about the project until now.

Residents near Rockville, Md., where Genovation is based, should keep their eyes out next month when a three-week testing phase begins. After that, the company plans to take the GXE to area racetracks in an attempt to break the speed record for a street legal test car, which is currently set at 177 mph.

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/all-electric-corvette-z06-set-to-debut-next-month/feed/0Why Big Oil Is Worried About EV Batteries and Teslahttp://www.hybridcars.com/why-big-oil-is-worried-about-ev-batteries-and-tesla/
http://www.hybridcars.com/why-big-oil-is-worried-about-ev-batteries-and-tesla/#commentsThu, 16 Jul 2015 19:38:25 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=321834Out of the many types of alternatively fueled powertrains, Big Oil is chiefly threatened by only one: the battery electric. And Tesla is its poster child. Oil and gas magazine Alberta Oil recently spotlighted the Tesla Model S as “one of the most beautiful and interesting automobiles to ever get made” but possibly also “one […]

]]>Out of the many types of alternatively fueled powertrains, Big Oil is chiefly threatened by only one: the battery electric. And Tesla is its poster child.

Oil and gas magazine Alberta Oil recently spotlighted the Tesla Model S as “one of the most beautiful and interesting automobiles to ever get made” but possibly also “one of the most dangerous.”

With the long-standing Toyota Prius, the affordable Nissan Leaf and the practical Chevrolet Volt as other top competitors in the electrified market, why did this trade magazine single out a luxury battery-electric?

“Because it’s managed to do something that no other electric vehicle has ever achieved: become an object of desire,” said Max Fawcett of Alberta Oil.

In his examination of the oil industry’s perspective on electrified vehicles and their batteries, Fawcett spoke with Steve LeVine, a Quartz energy and technology correspondent. LeVine is also the author of the recently published book, “The Powerhouse,” an in-depth look at lithium-ion batteries from a geopolitical viewpoint.

“Biofuels, solar, wind, and other non-fossil fuels and technologies all seemed destined to remain permanently marginal,” wrote LeVine in his book. “But batteries were a different matter.”

LeVine further expanded on this idea in an interview, saying:

Executives in the oil industry aren’t “worried about biofuels, and they’re not really worried about any of the renewables posing any kind of existential threat. But if there is a big breakthrough in batteries, that’s something that would be a huge risk for them.”

Battery research and development will not only affect the oil industry, according to LeVine, but it will also be a significant influencer on business and science.

“I think I can make a very firm case that batteries are one of the single most important engineering and scientific pursuits currently going on. It’s the Holy Grail,” he said.

For years it appeared to the oil industry that battery-electric cars would stay on the fringe as a permanent but minute niche market, explained LeVine. ExxonMobil noted in one long-term forecast that electrification would indeed become mainstream. But though they predicted this technology would be present in almost half of the world’s vehicles by 2040, ExxonMobil thought electrification would mostly exist in the form of plug-in hybrids like the Prius.

LeVine noted that advances in battery development are certain. But that doesn’t guarantee that battery electrics will rise as the preeminent vehicle class.

“It doesn’t have to happen in the way some people are imagining. A big breakthrough can happen by twinning a hybrid model of battery – a super capacitor with a battery, or a fuel cell with a battery,” LeVine said.

And, even with a major shift towards electrification, LeVine said that the oil industry wouldn’t completely vanish.

“Demand for oil isn’t going to disappear,” he said. “It’s going to be with us. It’s such a convenient and powerful and dense store of energy – even if every car on the planet was an electric car, for example, using fuel in jets is much more efficient than batteries will ever be. There’s going to be liquid fuel for a long time.